The Moral Maze: Should we pay for lifestyle healthcare?

Steve Davies appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Moral Maze to discuss NHS Reform in the wake of the Free Enterprise Group’s meeting at the IEA earlier this week.

Steve Davies said that people should bear the consequences of their own decisions in regards to healthcare and that payment is the most efficient way. However, doing this in the context of the NHS is problematic, Dr Davies argued.

With public provided health care, there is the opportunity for the government to set a healthcare agenda that would essentially “bully” people into doing what they ought to do. Dr Davies argued that it would distort the relationship between doctor and patient, turning doctors into healthcare managers charged with giving paternalistic advice.